What is the best iPad to buy with WiFi
Choosing the best iPad in 2019 is complicated because Apple has launched five new iPads in the last year, and there a plenty of older models still on sale for less, and all with very similar names. But what is the best iPad to buy with WiFi in 2019?
The best iPad can give you the power of a computer, the sleek design of a 2-in-1 laptop, and the familiar interface of smartphone thanks to iOS 12 and, soon they’ll get even better when iPadOS lands in a few months.
It’s all tied up into a nice, neat package, one that’s replacing the traditional bulky laptop for many – though not all – consumers out there.
And there’s now an iPad price for everyone, with cheap the new iPad 9.7-inch 2018 starting out at an affordable price, while the performance-focused iPad Pro 11 and the iPad Pro 12.9 offer laptop-like internal specs. The new iPad Air and iPad mini offer a good value in the middle, and all support the Apple Pencil to appeal to average consumers and students.
Believe it or not, the iPad Air 2, also a 9.7-inch tablet, remains popular, even though Apple isn’t officially selling it at their store anymore. And the aging iPad mini 4 (launched way back in 2015) is still on sale in many places with a price cut. Plus, both of these slates will get the iPadOS updating later this year.
There’s a ‘best iPad’ for you no matter your needs and no matter your budget. We created a top iPad 2019 list to help narrow down Apple’s top tablet choices for you.
Why iPad is great
Apple’s iPad is the best tablet for most people because it offers the optimal combination of speed, size, features, apps, accessories, and price. Unlike most other tablets, iPads are all solidly built, perform well, have fantastic screens, run a reliable and easy-to-use operating system, have a huge app library and accessory ecosystem, and come with the best support of any brand (including support for Apple Pencil). We recommend iPads over Android tablets even for people who have Android phones.
1. iPad Pro 11 (2018)
The best iPad you can buy right now
The iPad Pro 11 is the best iPad you can buy right now. It may be expensive, but the recent iPad Pros have Apple’s most powerful tablet and furthers the 2-in-1 design ethos if you spring for the pricey new keyboard cover folio.
It has a laptop-like experience in design and performance, and the new Apple Pencil magnetically clips onto the frame of the new iPad Pro. With superb speakers and a great new screen-to-body ratio, it’s hard not to fall in love with the finely crafted hardware design.
While the iOS 12 software feels limiting when trying to multitask and perform laptop-like tasks, with the arrival of iPadOS later this year hitting the slate, it’ll be transformed.
Another strictly mobile challenge: it doesn’t have a headphone jack. If you want the standard 3.5mm jack in a computer-like device, you’ll spring for an actual computer.
Everything about the iPad Pro 11 makes it the best experience if you’re looking for the best Apple tablet – you’ll just need to swallow the high price – but it’s no MacBook replacement.
- Display : 11‑inch Liquid Retina display with ProMotion technology and True Tone
- Capacity : 64GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Chip : A12X Bionic chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture, Neural Engine, Compared to A8; CPU: 3x faster; Graphics: 8x faster, Embedded M12 coprocessor
- Camera and Video : 12MP camera with Smart HDR and 4K video at 30 fps or 60 fpss
- Front Camera : 7MP TrueDepth front camera with Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR
- Battery Life : Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
- Connector : USB-C
- In the Box : iPad Pro, USB-C Charge Cable, 18W USB-C Power Adapter
- Height : 9.74 inches (247.6 mm)
- Width : 7.02 inches (178.5 mm)
- Depth : 0.23 inch (5.9 mm)
- Weight : 1.03 pounds (468 grams) Wi-Fi model; 1.03 pounds (468 grams) Wi-Fi + Cellular model
Today’s best Apple iPad Pro 11 deals
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2. iPad Pro 12.9 (2018)
The best big iPad around
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) is a big monster – monster in the good kind of way, as it effortlessly crushes half the things you need in your life – goodbye mobile phone, laptop, coloring pad, music mixing table, games console. It’s the ultimate creativity and workflow tool, with its huge screen, useful peripherals and snappy iOS.
It has the fastest processing power we’ve ever seen in a mobile device, four powerful speakers and a vibrant screen and, depending on which model you get, more storage power than you’d ever need.
It doesn’t have the best battery life though, so it’s not going to last you too long. You might not be able to use it for long periods of time watching films on a journey or mixing your music, and it charges rather slowly too.
All in all, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) is one of the best iPads you can buy right now, but if you don’t need its huge display, the slighter cheaper iPad Pro 11 will save you a few bucks and be more portable.
- Display : 12.9‑inch Liquid Retina display with ProMotion technology and True Tone
- Capacity : 64GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Chip : A12X Bionic chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture, Neural Engine, Compared to A8; CPU: 3x faster; Graphics: 8x faster, Embedded M12 coprocessor
- Camera and Video : 12MP camera with Smart HDR and 4K video at 30 fps or 60 fps
- Front Camera :7MP TrueDepth front camera with Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR
- Battery Life : Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
- Connector : USB-C
- In the Box : iPad Pro, USB-C Charge Cable, 18W USB-C Power Adapter
- Height : 11.04 inches (380.6 mm)
- Width : 8.46 inches (241.9 mm)
- Depth : 0.23 inch (5.9 mm)
- Weight : 1.39 pounds (631 grams); 1.4 pounds (633 grams) Wi-Fi + Cellular model
Today’s best Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2018 deals
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3. iPad 9.7 (2018)
The best Apple iPad for the average consumer
This is the best Apple iPad for the average consumer and for education, even if it isn’t the most powerful one on sale. It’s simply a great value.
The new iPad (2018) replaces the very similar 2017 model and, before that, the iPad Air 2 in Apple’s lineup, slotting in below the Pro range.
It works with the Apple Pencil, offering you the cheapest way to doodle on the 9.7-inch glass, though you can’t get the Smart Keyboard with this non-Pro model. It also has the same luxurious metal unibody as the rest of Apple’s iPad range, though notably it’s ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro at 7.5mm.
With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor included, iOS 12 under the hood and up to 10 hours of battery life when web browsing or watching videos, it’s a great media player and a strong tablet choice if you’re not planning to use it heavily for productivity.
- Display : 9.7‑inch Retina display
- Capacity : 32GB, 128GB
- Chip : A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture, Embedded M10 coprocessor
- Camera and Video : 8MP camera with HDR and 1080p HD video
- Front Camera : 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera with HDR
- Battery Life : Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music.; Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
- Connector : Lightning
- In the Box : iPad, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter
- Height : 9.4 inches (240 mm)
- Width : 6.6 inches (169.5 mm)
- Depth : 0.29 inch (7.5 mm)
- Weight : 1.03 pounds (469 grams) Wi-Fi model; 1.05 pounds (478 grams) Wi-Fi + Cellular model
Today’s best Apple iPad 9.7 2018 deals
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4. iPad Air (2019)
The best compromise for students
The iPad Air, with a 10.5-inch screen, is the ultimate compromise between the entry-level iPad 9.7 and the more powerful, but more expensive iPad Pro 11. It sits at the original iPad price in most countries, so it’s cheaper than the iPad Pro 10.5 (2017) that it replaces, and although it isn’t a ‘Pro’ tablet in name, it has several high-end features that make it a convincing laptop supplement.
It’s the cheapest iPad that’s compatible with Apple’s Smart Keyboard Cover, meaning you don’t need to deal with tricky Bluetooth keyboard connections to get real work done on this thing. It also has Apple’s A12 chipset, borrowed from the iPhone XS. It’s incredibly fast. Students will be able to take notes and respond to email on this tablet, but artists will hate the first-generation Apple Pencil.
- Display : 10.5‑inch Retina display with True Tone
- Capacity : 64GB, 256GB
- Chip : A12 Bionic chip with 64‑bit architecture, Neural Engine, Embedded M12 coprocessor
- Camera and Video : 8MP camera with HDR and 1080p HD video
- Front Camera : 7MP FaceTime HD front camera with Auto HDR
- Battery Life : Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
- Connector : Lightning
- In the Box : 10.5-inch iPad Air, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter
- Height : 9.8 inches (250.6 mm)
- Width : 6.8 inches (174.1 mm)
- Depth : 0.24 inch (6.1 mm)
- Weight : 1.0 pounds (456 grams) Wi-Fi model
Today’s best Apple iPad Air 2019 deals
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5. iPad mini (2019)
The only small tablet you should consider
Sometimes with a tablet you just want a slightly plus-sized phone, and the iPad mini (2019) fits that bill. It’s a dinky device with some impressive specs, boasting Apple’s most recent processor and a decent battery life.
What makes the iPad mini (2019) great is the fact you can use the Apple Pencil alongside it, turning the iPad mini into a tiny notebook in your pocket.
The iPad mini (2019) is one of the best small tablets you can get at its price point, so if you’re looking for an easily totable pocket powerhouse, you can’t get much better than this little monster.
- Display : 7.9‑inch Retina display with True Tone
- Capacity : 64GB, 256GB
- Chip : A12 Bionic chip with 64‑bit architecture, Neural Engine, Embedded M12 coprocessor
- Camera and Video : 8MP camera with HDR and 1080p HD video
- Front Camera : 7MP FaceTime HD front camera with Auto HDR
- Battery Life : Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
- Connector : Lightning
- In the Box : iPad mini, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter
- Height : 8 inches (203.2 mm)
- Width : 5.3 inches (134.8 mm)
- Depth : 0.24 inch (6.1 mm)
- Weight : 0.66 pound (300.5 grams) Wi-Fi model
Today’s best Apple iPad Mini (2019) deals
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6. iPad Mini 4
The latest 7-inch iPad is a big step up from the previous version
Big screens aren’t for everyone, and that’s where the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 4 comes in. The screen size means it’s far more portable than Apple’s larger tablets, especially as it’s light at 299g. It’s not quite small enough that you can use it one handed, but you can comfortably hold it for a lot longer than most of Apple’s slates, or throw it in a bag and forget about it.Advertisement
It’s also big enough to enjoyably browse the net or watch videos on when you’re away from home and bigger screens, but it’s obviously not quite as strong an experience for most visual media as Apple’s larger 9.7, 10.5 and 12.9-inch slates.
The small size and lack of Smart Connector also makes it worse for productivity than the iPad Pro range, but this isn’t designed as a laptop replacement.
It’s still fairly powerful thanks to 2GB of RAM and the aging but still impressive Apple A8 chip, while the screen is sharp, rich and easy to see even in bright sunlight.
The iPad Mini 4 is also a fraction of the price of Apple’s Pro range, and with 128GB of storage you needn’t be terribly limited in that area – though it’s no match for the 256GB you can get in the iPad Pro.
- Display : 7.9‑inch Retina display
- Capacity : 128GB
- Chip : A8 chip with 64‑bit architecture. M8 motion coprocessor
- Camera and Video: 8MP camera with HDR and 1080p HD video
- Front Camera : 1.2MP FaceTime HD front camera with HDR
- Battery Life : Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music; Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
- Connector : Lightning
- In the Box : iPad mini 4, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter
- Height : 8.0 inches (203.2 mm)
- Width : 5.3 inches (134.8 mm)
- Depth : 0.24 inch (6.1 mm)
- Weight : 0.65 pound (298.8 grams) Wi-Fi model; 0.67 pound (304 grams) Wi-Fi + Cellular model
Today’s best iPad mini 4 deals
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